1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire connection between a vehicle main body and a movable vehicle component connected thereto. The present invention finds particular application as a wire harness arrangement for carrying one or more wires between a vehicle main body and a vehicle door and will be described with particular reference thereto. More specifically, the wire harness arrangement includes a segmented protector that conforms to the shape of a hinge member. The hinge member connects the vehicle door to the vehicle main body. In addition, a first grommet may be used in conjunction with the protector to carry the one or more wires from the protector to the vehicle door and a second grommet may be used in conjunction with the protector to carry the one or more wires from the protector to the vehicle main body. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention may relate to other similar environments and applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle manufacturers often require one or more wires (a wire grouping) to connect between a vehicle main body and a connected vehicle component such as a door, trunk, panel member or the like. The vehicle main body often includes a power source, electrical controls and electrical components. The connected vehicle component may include electrical components and controls such as electric windows and controls thereof; electric mirrors, mirror defrosters and controls thereof; exterior and interior lights; control illuminations; audio speakers; and various other types of components and controls. The one or more wires connecting between the vehicle main body and the connected vehicle component allow the electrical controls and devices of the connected vehicle component to be powered and communicate with the electrical controls and devices of the vehicle main body.
Because the connected vehicle component may be on the vehicle exterior, it is often desirable to insulate the one or more wires connecting between the vehicle component and the vehicle main body. For example, when the vehicle component is a passenger compartment door, wires connected thereto from the vehicle main body need insulation to avoid being exposed to environmental conditions, such as water, whether from rain, a car wash, or road spray, when the passenger door is ajar or fully opened. While neither the use of a grommet alone nor the use of this invention completely insulates the wires from water, it minimizes the intrusion of water into the vehicle and provides some protection to the otherwise exposed wires. Additionally, it is often desirable to protect the one or more wires from damage and excessive wear by providing a supported casing around the one or more wires. Damage and excessive wear may be caused, for example, by the one or more wires rubbing against a portion of the connected vehicle component or the vehicle main body, particularly, during movement of the connected vehicle component.
When the connected vehicle component is a passenger compartment door, a typical wiring application includes several wires connecting between the door and the vehicle main body. The several wires are often carried as a bunch forming a wire grouping. In prior art applications, the wire grouping is commonly carried in a single conventional grommet. The conventional grommet is a flexible tube capable of bending when the vehicle door is closed and extending when the vehicle door is opened. U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,260 to Suzuki et al., expressly incorporated herein by reference, discloses a waterproof grommet adapted to carry one or more wires therein between a vehicle main body and a vehicle door. The conventional grommet insulates the one or more wires from environmental conditions, such as rain, and provides some protection to the one or more wires from damage and excessive wear.
While a single grommet extending between the vehicle door and the vehicle main body may be sufficient in certain conventional car door applications, it has several drawbacks in other vehicle applications. For example, in conventional vehicle door applications, the angle between the vehicle door in a fully opened position and the vehicle main body is typically limited to some acute angle such as about seventy degrees. However, in other alternative vehicle door applications, the angle between the vehicle main body and the fully opened vehicle door may be in excess of seventy degrees. For example, the angle may be an angle approaching ninety degrees, an obtuse angle, or even an angle greater than one hundred and eighty degrees. The single grommet connection of the prior art is generally unsuitable for these types of alternative vehicle door applications. This unsuitability is magnified in instances where a C-shaped hinge is used to join the door to the vehicle body.
More specifically, while the single grommet is suitable for limited bending over relatively short lengths, a single grommet is insufficient for a large bend such as one hundred and eighty degrees. The single grommet arrangement provides inadequate support to the one or more wires carried therein along its length when adapted for such large bends. This lack of support may lead to damage or excessive wear to the one or more wires carried within the single grommet. Further, the unsupported grommet may undesirably protrude into the vehicle compartment when the vehicle door is shut. Thus, it is desirable to provide a vehicle wire harness arrangement capable of providing an insulated and protected connection for unobtrusively carrying one or more wires between a vehicle body and a moveable vehicle component, such as a door, that is capable of being opened beyond an angle of about seventy degrees.
The present invention provides a new and improved vehicle wire harness arrangement that overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others and provides the aforementioned advantageous features.